Carrying out the NATO mission “Baltic Air Policing,” Ankara will send five F-16 fighter jets and 76 soldiers from one of the country’s most experienced and largest military air force strike units – the 181st Fighter Squadron “Pars” – to Estonia.
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“This mission has great strategic importance in defending NATO’s eastern flank. It will significantly contribute to strengthening Turkey’s international deterrence capabilities, cooperation with allied forces, and increasing strategic potential,” said Turkish Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Ozdemir.
It is expected that Turkish soldiers will arrive at Estonia’s Amari air base in August and remain there until November this year. During this time, they will conduct patrols and respond to possible airspace violations over the Baltic states, which do not have their own fighter jets.
Earlier, sources from Bloomberg news agency reported that NATO had approached Turkey with a request to provide F-16 fighter jets for airspace protection in the Baltic region.
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Meanwhile, Ankara itself planned to deploy these fighter jets in Romania from December 2026 to March 2027. However, according to agency sources, NATO decided to strengthen defense over the Baltic Sea due to the increasing threat from Russia, which has intensified it by using electronic warfare means to direct drones at Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
As calculated by the news portal “Nova Europa,” from January 2025 to May 2026, at least 24 drones were recorded over the Baltic states – nine during the entire last year and 15 since the beginning of this year. Most incidents – at least 12 cases – occurred over Latvian territory.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called the Alliance’s response to these incidents “calm, resolute, and proportionate,” while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has repeatedly assured that the European Union will respond to these events “with unity and strength.”
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